Conventional bench saws comprise a base, a work-supporting table resting over the base and displaying a longitudinal opening therethrough, a movable structure mounted in the base and carrying a power-operated main shaft, a cutting tool operatively connected to the shaft and protruding through the opening, and means for causing vertical and angular displacements of the shaft-carrying structure relative to the table.
The basic assembly of these bench saws is accomplished at the manufacturing plant and their end use is strictly limited to circular sawing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,535 issued Nov. 17, 1987 to Ducharme proposes a scoring saw assembly which can be installed on existing bench saws which are not equipped with a scoring saw. Such conventional bench saws are equipped with means for causing vertical and angular displacements of the power-operated shaft relative to the work-supporting table. However, the scoring saw kit described in the above U.S. patent comprises a elongated casing which is adapted for vertical displacement of the main saw blade relative to the work table but which cannot be moved angularly with the movable structure of the bench saw as the kit is fixedly secured to the work-supporting table with mean allowing only the said vertical displacement. Hence, the cutting operation on the work piece is limited only to a vertical cut and to one type of cutting, namely scoring.
In applicant's co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/664,671 filed Mar. 5, 1991, there is described an attachment assembly for mounting to a conventional bench saw which comprises an elongated tool-holding member mounted to the power-driven main shaft of the bench saw, the member having, at one end, a pair of projecting rods adapted to engage a pair of guide pins mounted on a movable part of the bench saw. The positioning of the rods on the pins is accomplished initially through a sliding engagement for the installation stage until their engagement is finally secured so that, during the cutting operation, rods and pins cooperate to prevent lateral and angular movements of the elongated member. In the embodiment illustrated in the said patent application, the mounting and dismounting of the elongated member are somewhat rendered difficult and cumbersome by the particular engagement and disengagement of the rods with their respective guide pins.